Naughty Godlings and Demonic Pudding
by zennou-sakusha
Summary: HxB Cupid's on the loose and decides to cause some trouble for the Spirit Detectives- and just in time for their newest mission! With all of this love in the air, is it possible for anybody to actually accomplish anything?
1. Prologue

Note: Yukina doesn't know that Hiei is her brother, and of course, Kuwabara doesn't know either. I have no idea where this story is heading, so don't be surprised if the titles or summary change a lot. All I know is that it'll have a happy ending. Rated to be on the safe side. I probably won't post the next chapter for a very long time because I need to work on other fics and I still have to work out the plot.

Disclaimer- I don't own YYH.

**Naughty Godlings and Demonic Pudding**

**Prologue**

The golden haired one giggled madly, hidden away behind the trees with his ki masked so that nobody could detect his presence, not even the sleeping fire demon that was soon to be his latest victim. For hours, this strange being had been waiting in the same hiding place until the moment was just right to strike. He had been tracking this particular demon for weeks now, attracted by the attitude and unsociable way of life this youkai possessed.

This peculiar being was none other than Ainokami [1], otherwise known as Cupid or Eros. He was the god of love, and his looks matched his title perfectly; with golden locks of soft hair that framed a child-like face, a pair of the most adorable baby blue eyes, and a pair of pure white feathery wings, he looked like nothing more than innocent child who wouldn't harm a fly. But, though he may look angelic, this god was extremely mischievous and loved to cause chaos among the three worlds. With godly powers and magical arrows that could make anybody fall instantly in love, this god was a force to be reckoned with.

His reputation as a mischief-maker made him very unpopular with the gods, especially Koenma and the Reikai staff. After becoming bored of being cast away by all the immortals, Ainokami had decided to wreak havoc upon the ningen world. And what better to start than with an unfriendly fire demon?

It all began only a few days after Ainokami had wandered into the ningen world. He had been flying around aimlessly, unnoticed by the humans, shooting a few arrows here and there, until he came to a park. There, the god of love had found four boys, whom he recognized to be Koenma's famous Reikai Tantei. Since these four were known to be 'invincible' among most Reikai residents, the god decided to see how they stood up against his arrows of love. But which would be chosen to be lucky victim number one?

The black-haired one with too much hair gel would be way too powerful if he ever found out who was behind all of this and wanted revenge; the large carrot-topped one wasn't exactly charming enough and his love for a certain ice apparition might get in the way of things; and the long red-haired one with the stunning green eyes had too many girls already in love with him for this practical joke to be very funny. This left the short one with spiky hair, whom he recognized as Hiei the fire demon.

This demon was a perfect candidate to be victim of Ainokami's latest prank- a cold, unsociable loner who was the last person someone would expect to fall in love. The god knew this was the legendary Forbidden Child of the Koorime, and, judging from the way he had been labeled a taboo at birth, he surely hadn't lead a pleasant life. Ainokami liked to think that he was doing Hiei a FAVOR by making him fall in love. After all, it was the Ainokami's strong belief that everybody deserved some love in his or her lifetime, and after observing this detached fire demon, love was probably the last thing on this demon's mind.

Now, after weeks of constant following and observing Hiei, he had finally decided that today was the day to strike. The fire demon was asleep in a tree at the park, unaware of what was going on around him. The god of love flew over to the demon and sprinkled some sleeping powder on Hiei as he muttered a simple spell. That was to assure Hiei didn't wake up until the procedure was complete.

Ainokami couldn't help but giggle at the thought of what was about to happen. It would be so much fun to see the look on that fire demon's face when he realized he was in love! And when all of his companions found out... Oh, that's when the REAL fun starts. The looks on their faces would be priceless- a true Kodak moment. Ah, if only he had a magical camera...

After quickly getting control of his giggling, Ainokami summoned his golden bow and magical arrows out of thin air and then set about choosing the correct arrow to do the job. Although all of his arrows may look the same to the untrained eye, they were all made from different materials, which could change each love spell so that it fit the victim perfectly to allow maximum use and better results.

The god finally chose an arrow made from the wood of the sacred tree of the god of fire. Found in Reikai, the tree looked like the trees in the ningen world except for the leaves. Instead of leaves being made of green plant-like material, they were made of flame, yet when one touched them, they felt like ice. This suited Hiei perfectly- the fire demon with a heart of ice.

Another insane giggle escaped from the mouth of Ainokami as he readied his bow and arrow. He drew the bowstring back until it was taut. Finally, the moment he had been waiting for. It was time to strike!

The arrow flew straight through the air faster than the human eye could see and hit the unsuspecting youkai's left arm. As soon as the arrow came in contact with the fire demon's skin, the love spell it contained was transferred into Hiei's body. Once the arrow had done its job, it disappeared.

The love spell that this particular arrow contained was concocted to make the victim fall in love with their ideal soul mate. The potion would eventually wear off, but there was no telling how long it might last. It could be years or even decades before it wore off, but the only way to be sure is to take the antidote- a potion that only Ainokami knew how to make.

Ainokami could only wait for the fire demon to emerge from his unconscious state. The sleeping spell shouldn't last longer than a few minutes. Due to the love spell that was cast on him in his sleep, Hiei should have had some pretty interesting dreams and Ainokami wanted to see the fire demon's reaction for himself.

Finally, minutes later, Ainokami's patience was rewarded when Hiei woke up. The expression on the fire demon's face was well worth the wait. It was a medley of horror, disbelief, shock, and even a hint of fear. The god of love assumed that Hiei's appearance was due to a dream he had had about his newfound love interest. Now, to find out whom exactly the unsuspecting lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it) lady was...

After he made sure that Hiei couldn't sense him, Ainokami closed his eyes and concentrated on tuning his mind to the right wavelength. This would allow him to read the fire demon's thoughts, but because the god's powers were limited, he could only read thoughts pertaining to love and romance. What came to him surprised him greatly.

Ainokami knew that this woman was supposed to be Hiei's soul mate, but never would he have suspected _her_! Of all the beings in the three worlds available to choose from, _she_ was most suitable for the Forbidden Child?! Ainokami could barely contain a gleeful giggle as even more thoughts of this unlikely woman came from Hiei's mind.

Tsk, tsk, such a naughty demon! Ainokami could hardly believe he was thinking about Botan like that...

Oh, this was going to be the best prank ever! Ainokami decided to help Hiei out a bit, and he departed immediately, his mind set on what he must do. He would have to find this soul mate of Hiei's and cast a love spell on her as well so that they may both be in love with each other. The mischievous god could hardly wait!

[1] I don't really know whether or not this is what Cupid is in Japanese, but I looked it up on the internet and this is one of the names that I found so I'm just going to use it.

Oh, I drew Ainokami!!! To see it go here: http://www.mediaminer.org/fanart/view.php/159226


	2. Chapter 1

**To anyone who's wondering why in the three worlds the title mentions pudding** Well, I know there is absolutely no connection in this story to pudding, but it will have to do with their mission later on. Their mission will be described in chapter 2.

**Naughty Godlings and Demonic Pudding  
Chapter 1**

The next week was, for the most part, a boring affair. Ainokami continuously spied on Botan and Hiei, his two latest victims, and recorded their progress in a journal. Unfortunately, it wasn't much progress, and it frustrated the god to no end.

**_Ainokami's Journal_**

****

_Day 1:  
The perfect subject for a love spell was spotted. Arrows have been shot, spells released, and I'm pleased to say that Hiei the fire demon and Botan the ferry girl are officially in love. This is much more fun that trying to get Koenma to fall in love with his ogres!_

_Day 2:  
Neither subject could sleep well, due to the rather interesting dreams that plagued them throughout the night. Interesting note: Botan and Hiei can be considered either creative or just hentai. Hiei has been moping around a lot. I believe that he suspects he may be in love, but is firmly in denial. He's going to be troublesome... The ferry girl has no clue what her feelings are, and went about her ferrying as usual. She's quite confused since this is the first time in centuries she has felt this strong about someone._

_Day 3:  
Botan is even more confused now. She was so distracted that she accidentally sent a poor spirit into the deepest pit of hell so she was forced to take the day off. Thoughts of Hiei have been continuously dancing across her mind. I hope she will suspect her feelings are love, but somehow I doubt she could get a clue if she did a mating dance for a bunch of horny, teenaged, male clues full of love potion. Meanwhile, Hiei has avoided contact with anybody. All he did today was nap in his boring old tree all day._

_Day 4:  
Hiei and Botan met today with their other friends. No interaction whatsoever between them, though. In fact, Hiei just showed up for a few minutes, checked on his sister, and left! I believe they are still slowly realizing that this is love they are feeling, not just some temporary attraction. Unfortunately, they're very, VERY dimwitted when it comes to love. Foolish mortals!_

_Day 5:  
Their obsession with each other has increased. They spent the remainder of the day distracting themselves- Botan ferried souls across the River Styx, and Hiei went to Makai for some private training. No fun at all._

_Day 6:  
Still working their lovesick butts off. They have pretty much realized they are in love, but are too shocked and embarrassed (or for Botan's case, scared) to do anything about it. BORING!_

Day 7:  
They met a second time with their other friends. Botan spoke no more than five words to Hiei when she asked him about his sister, and his reply was a strange 'hn' sound. They keep sneaking looks at each other, but otherwise, THEY HIDE THEIR FEELINGS TOO WELL! Normal for the demon, but wasn't the ferry girl a blabbermouth? There must be something I can do to cause them to do SOMETHING!

_Day 8:  
FINALLY! Something interesting has happened! The Reikai Tantai have been sent on a mission, and Botan has to come along! HAHA! Thank you Koenma for this marvelous turning point! Now they'll have to be together, and maybe their feelings will be revealed! But if not, then I'm sure I can help them along..._

* * *

Botan flew on her trademark oar, going to a park in the ningen world to meet with the Spirit Detectives about their newest mission. Ever since Koenma informed her about it, she'd had butterflies in her stomach and felt as if she were walking on air. How is it possible to be so excited, yet so nervous about the same thing?

Every time she had met with the Spirit Detective group over the past week, she had felt the same way- an overwhelming mixture of nervousness, excitement, depression, and happiness all at once. And it wasn't so much the group she was with that made her feel like this, rather than a certain someone.

About a week ago, it had just hit her- Hiei was perfect. His reckless bad-boy attitude made watching him do the simplest things an exhilarating experience. He was such a master warrior that watching him fight was almost like watching a dance. His movements were so precise and deadly, not one ounce of energy went to waste. And his body...! Botan could go on forever about how great he was. It truly amazed her that he had yet to find a girlfriend.

Yes, he was indeed a marvelous being, and Botan had the good fortune to have met and fallen completely head-over-heels in love with him. There were only two problems. First, Botan was scared to death of his wrath, and second, he would never in a million years even consider loving Botan the way she loved him.

Still, Botan couldn't help but marvel at this flawless creature, even if she had to do so from afar. She felt like every time she saw him, her love intensified. However, although she loved to watch him, she tried her best to avoid him. Each time they met, Botan risked the chance of revealing her feelings. She could never do that! Never would she risk losing what friendship (if you could call it that) they had with one another.

Botan continued her flight as she tried her best to ignore the throbbing pain in her heart, a constant reminder that she would never be able to have the utterly perfect creature that is Hiei the fire demon.

* * *

Yusuke Urameshi wasn't the type of guy who liked to be kept waiting. Most of the time this wasn't much of a problem because he usually came late to any appointment he had and kept other people waiting on him. Yet, here he was with Kuwabara at the park, _waiting_ for Kurama, Hiei, and Botan to show up.

"Dang it! They're already ten minutes late! Remind me to never come early for a mission!" Yusuke complained loudly.

Kuwabara, however, didn't mind waiting. In fact, he was excited about this new mission. Perhaps he could perform some amazing feat and prove once and for all that he was a better fighter than that shrimpy fire demon! Of course Kuwabara knew that he shouldn't have to prove anything, but the only person who ever believed in him was his dear Yukina. Too bad Hiei couldn't be more like her and say something nice rather than that annoying hn sound or demeaning insults to poor Kazuma.

"Where the heck is Kurama?! Isn't he usually here on time?" Yusuke's temper was steadily rising, and Kuwabara could tell.

"They'll be here soon, baka. Now would you shut up and stop complaining like some baby?"

"What, do you need silence to form a coherent thought in that miniature brain of yours?"

"Urameshi! Quit using big words you don't know!"

"Who says I don't know them?"

"Oh gimme a break! We both know that Keiko taught you what 'coherent' means!"

"Feh! Like you know what it means!"

"I do too know what it means!"

"Oh? Then give me the definition, smart guy!"

"...Eh... Just hold on a sec..." Kuwabara turned his back towards Yusuke and pulled out his pocket dictionary. He flipped through the pages rapidly, and paused a moment to ask, "Uh, how is that spelled?"

"Moron! You don't even know how to spell it!"

"So? You don't either!"

"Yes I do! It's spelled K-O-H-A-I-R-A-N-T!"

"Oh, okay..." Kuwabara looked up 'kohairant' in the dictionary, but didn't find anything. "It's not even in here, Urameshi no baka! You can't just use made up words!"

"But it's not made up! Here, gimme that!" Yusuke reached towards the taller boy to grab the dictionary, but Kuwabara wouldn't let him have it. "Give it to me, Kuwabaka!"

"No, you're gonna destroy it just like you did with my textbook!"

"Oh come on, that was an accident, and besides you don't even need it! When's the last time you went to school?!"

"Hmph, I go to school a lot more than you do!"

Yusuke glared at Kuwabara, and he glared back. After such an argument, it was almost a tradition for a brawl to follow. As the two boys were getting into a fighting stance, Botan zoomed into the scene on her oar. She quickly recognized the signs for an oncoming battle and decided to stop it, hoping to prevent any injuries to be had. Koenma would surely be mad at them if they injured each other after he told them they had a new mission, and Botan would rather not witness yet another one of Koenma's temper tantrums.

"Yusuke! Kuwabara! Don't start fighting before your mission has even started!"

At the sound of Botan's voice, both boys turned to look at her. Yusuke was glad to see that she at least decided to show up, and his mood lightened slightly. Now he just had to wait for the other two. Where were they? It wasn't surprising that Hiei was late, but Kurama was usually quite a punctual person.

Botan landed with ease on the ground and vanished her oar. Instead of wearing her usual kimono, she had ningen clothes to fit in with the surrounding environment. She was wearing a blue denim skirt with a hem that reached just a few inches short of her knees and a tight fitting t-shirt that would reveal her stomach every time she stretched. She had picked this outfit just for this occasion. After all, Botan had to look presentable in front of Hiei, though she doubted he would even notice.

Her mind set on finding her beloved fire demon, Botan looked around. They were in a secluded clearing in a park, picked as their meeting place since it was usually empty of ningens. The ferry girl saw Kuwabara and Yusuke, but no sign of the other two. "Where are Kurama and Hiei?"

"How should we know? We've been waiting for them for hours already!" Yusuke answered, his bad mood in full swing once again. Patience had never been one of his strong points.

"Aw, quit your complaining Urameshi! It's only been a few minutes!"

As the two delinquents argued, Botan began worrying. What if something had happened to Hiei? Her mind began imagining the strangest theories. What if he got lost? What if he were lying somewhere in Makai with fatal battle wounds, dying a slow painful death? What if he was already dead and had already been sentenced to eternity in the deepest, darkest pits of Reikai?

"Y-you said that they're late?" Botan asked uncertainly.

"Yeah! The perfect fox is actually _late_ for once!"

"Late...?!" shrieked Botan. "Go look for them then! They could be DYING! What if they're already dead, huh? Then you're going to feel guilty that you didn't search for them! SO GO ALREADY!"

Kuwabara and Yusuke stared at her as if she were crazy.

"Geez, Botan, it's just a few minutes! Don't have a heart attack!" Yusuke exclaimed. Hadn't he just been complaining that they had to wait for _hours_?

"Yeah, Botan. Why are you so worried anyway?"

"Well, uh... That is..." Botan stuttered. She hadn't meant to show so much emotion. What if they found out that she liked Hiei? Without realizing it, a blush spread across her face. Both boys noticed this, and they exchanged a knowing look.

"You don't happen to _like_ one of our resident demons, do you?" Yusuke assumed correctly. All thoughts of fighting and bad temperament vanished, replaced with curiosity.

Immediately, all thoughts and worries of Hiei's well being were consumed by horror that her secret had been found out. She knew that if she ever told Yusuke or Kuwabara, Hiei would most certainly hear about it within minutes. And then... Botan couldn't bear to think what might happen if Hiei knew! Her blush intensified several times.

"N-no..." she answered weakly.

Noticing even more redness staining her face, the two didn't take her answer as the truth. Kuwabara could hardly believe it. Botan liked either Hiei or Kurama! Since he knew it was obviously not going to be Hiei, it must be...

Kuwabara asked knowingly, "It's Kurama, isn't it?"

As her blushing faded, Botan didn't know whether to be offended or grateful. She almost opened her mouth to tell them that she loved _Hiei_, not some baka fox, but caught herself just in time. It was better to have them think that than know the truth.

Yusuke smirked triumphantly, her silence confirming the answer. "So it IS Kurama!"

Simultaneously, Yusuke and Kuwabara laughed out loud at poor Botan. It was just too funny! Who would have guessed that the ferry girl was the newest member of the Kurama fan club? Just wait until Kurama found out about this.

Botan didn't appreciate the laughter at her expense and sent them a death glare so intense that it rivaled Hiei's - a skill easily learned when you spend too much time observing the fire demon. The two boys were shocked into silence. Such a fatal look should be forbidden to mar the usually cheerful girl's face! For a few tense moments, nobody dared to utter a sound as Yusuke and Kuwabara tried to hide how truly frightening Botan's new side was for them.

"I do not like Kurama," Botan hissed, her death glare strengthening.

Kuwabara appeared intimidated by her, but Yusuke wasn't, thanks to daily meetings with an even scarier Keiko. He quickly overcame the shock that these strange actions induced and said, "You DO like Kurama!!! HAHAHAHAAA!!!!!!"

This annoyed Botan. She didn't like that baka kitsune! She was in love with _Hiei_! But she would never convince them unless she told them the truth, but there was no way in the three worlds she was going to do that.

"No, I do not like Kurama!"

Kuwabara had finally become braver again and replied, "Yes, you do!!!"

"NO, I DON'T YOU IDIOTS BECAUSE I LIKE SOMEONE ELSE!!!" Botan yelled before she could stop herself. She hadn't meant to say that, but now that it was out, she hoped they wouldn't guess the truth. Although she doubted they were smart enough, she had pretty much admitted that she liked one of the demons, and if it wasn't Kurama...

Yusuke and Kuwabara raised their eyebrows and looked at each other, and simultaneously stated, "IT'S KOENMA!"

"ARGH!!!" Okay, so maybe they're stupider than she thought...

* * *

While Botan was arguing with Kuwabara and Yusuke, Hiei and Kurama were on their way to the park. The incredibly slow pace they were walking caused their tardiness, but neither noticed this.

Hiei was too busy thinking about that baka ferry onna that had become the sole obsession of his life for the past week. It had all begun with the strangest, yet most pleasant, dreams, all involving Botan. It was surprising that he hadn't noticed before how beautiful she truly was. A week ago, had you asked Hiei his opinion of Botan, he might have answered that she was a good-for-nothing pest that got in his way. But presently, he might answer that she was the loveliest, most fascinating creature in the three worlds - not that he would ever tell her that. He didn't tell Yukina the truth for fear of rejection, so what makes you think Botan is any different?

Kurama was also busy with his thoughts, but his troubles didn't involve ferry girls. He was reflecting on Hiei's strange behavior. About a week ago he had noticed a change in the fire demon. It was too subtle for anyone unused to Hiei to tell the difference, but Kurama knew him too well for the fire demon to hide anything. Recently, almost every time Kurama saw Hiei, the he was always daydreaming and staring into space. He was much quieter than usual, not even bothering to respond to Kuwabara's insults and remarks. There was something very wrong with Hiei, and the fox wanted to know what.

He eyed the black -haired demon walking beside him suspiciously. Hiei was daydreaming _again_. Kurama couldn't take it anymore. This wasn't the arrogant, sarcastic, hotheaded fire demon everyone knew and loved. Well... maybe not loved... but whatever!

The fox decided to take action and cease his disturbing behavior. He called out Hiei's name, trying to get his attention. But Hiei continued walking, still lost in his thoughts, as if Kurama hadn't spoken at all.

Kurama's eyes narrowed as his worries grew. This was very strange - Hiei was always aware of what was going on around him. He looked at mysterious fire demon once more. Something about his appearance wasn't quite right... After a few moments of careful observation, the fox concluded that it was Hiei's facial expression. Instead of his usual scowl, Hiei seemed to be almost smiling, as if he were in bliss.

The fox blinked and rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. There it was again - a strange half smile that didn't suit the grumpy demon at all. Then, in the blink of an eye, it was gone again, fortunately for Kurama. He wasn't sure if his sanity could deal with Hiei daydreaming, yet alone genuinely smiling for no apparent reason.

"Hiei?" Kurama asked cautiously, wondering if Hiei had suddenly gone mad. His hand was already halfway to his concealed weapon, ready to grab his rose whip in case Hiei really did go insane and decided to attack. "HIEI!"

The fire demon was still not responding, and it was getting very old, very fast. Kurama decided to forget any precautions. His goal now was to get this stubborn fire demon to listen to him. After calling out Hiei's name another time, the fox hit Hiei on the head, just hard enough to catch his attention and not cause any damage.

The zoned out fire demon wasn't prepared to be attacked, especially by Kurama of all beings, and landed on the ground with a _THUD_. This most certainly captured his attention. Rubbing his head to check for injuries, Hiei quickly stood up and glared at Kurama. "What was that for, baka kitsune?!"

"When someone is speaking to you, it's impolite to ignore them!" Kurama told him. Hiei noticed the fox's eyes had taken on an eerie golden glow that was too similar to Youko's for his liking, and he decided to pursue the matter no further.

"You didn't have to _hit_ me."

"Well, nothing else worked! Kuwabara could have announced that Yukina was his mate and you'd still be off in dreamland!"

"He did WHAT?!" Hiei yelled. Nobody can do anything to his sister without Hiei's consent! If Hiei had anything to say about it, the baka was about to be the next victim to his sword.

Kurama rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. Now that Hiei was back to normal, he wasn't sure whether or not he liked the silent Hiei better instead. "Never mind, never mind. What in Reikai is wrong with you?!"

"Hn!"

Oh great, just what Kurama needed. Hiei was being difficult about it. This would make things so much harder on the kitsune. "Oh, don't you dare give me that. Something is wrong with you! You aren't nearly as aware of your surroundings as you should be, and you've been acting different for the past week!"

"You needn't worry about me, baka kitsune."

"Somebody has to, since you're obviously not worried enough!"

Hiei looked away from Kurama and defiantly remained silent, signaling the end of the conversation. Unfortunately for him, Kurama wasn't about to give up so easily.

"Hiei? Look at me!" Reluctantly, crimson eyes met green eyes tinted with concern. "You have to tell me what is wrong! If we can't fix it before we have to go on this next mission, you may very well get killed!"

"So? I don't really care." That was actually a dishonest statement. Hiei did care whether or not he lived, but if he had to lie to get that annoying kitsune off of his back, then so be it.

Thinking that Hiei was honest, Kurama became frustrated. How many times would he have to tell Hiei to get this through his thick head? "I know you don't care, but I do. I know Yusuke and all of the others care too. Yes, even Kuwabara! And Yukina does as well."

"Don't lecture me, fox." Hiei looked at Kurama with a face that clearly showed he didn't appreciate any of this.

"Oh, stop giving me that look. Nobody else can stand your attitude long enough to lecture you!"

Hiei sighed, fed up with Kurama and all of his ningen morals. When had he ever given the fox permission to play mother to him? While Hiei appreciated his concern, though he may never admit to that, it was annoying. The only thing he could do to make Kurama shut up was to just tell the truth, something he couldn't bear to do. But he was willing to try about anything to get out of hearing one of Kurama's hour-long lectures about why Hiei should have ningen feelings or whatever it was he always said.

"Hiei, just tell me what's wrong! If you keep everything bottled up inside of you, your health will deteriorate and you'll become even grumpier than usual, and kami knows that's the last thing we need!"

"Just leave me alone!"

"Not until you tell me the truth!"

"...Fine."

The fox smirked. This was much more like the regular Hiei, always to the point, never prolonging the inevitable. He was on his way to being back to normal again!

The fire demon grudgingly opened his mouth as if to say something, but seemed to change his mind and closed it. If Kurama looked closely at him, he could see a faint tinge of pink on Hiei's face.

"Hiei?! Are you... _blushing_?!" Oh for the love of- Hiei wasn't supposed to BLUSH! Hiei was supposed to grunt and threaten and smirk and glare! And just when Kurama believed him to be normal again...

Hiei quickly looked away, mentally reprimanding himself for losing control of his emotions. This was not helping at all. He needed to just tell Kurama already and get it over with so he would be left alone.

"Oh, kami, you ARE blushing! Hiei, what in the three worlds is wrong with you?! Have you been eating too much sweet snow again? Are you drunk?! High?!! ANSWER ME, DARN IT!" Kurama asked frantically. If he hadn't been worried before, he was definitely worried now!

Before facing the fox, Hiei quickly got his emotions under control and made sure he wasn't blushing. He didn't need a desperate kitsune carting him off to a ningen hospital. "What if I told you that I was... how do ningens put it? In love?"

In... love...?!

The fox's eyes widened to unrealistic proportions. That was... unexpected, to say the least. He had anticipated something like 'I'm slowly dying of a rare form of demonic cancer and only have two days to live.' This couldn't possibly be true. Hiei, the most unsocial demon there ever was, in love? And not platonic love either? That was almost too scary to even imagine!

This was one of the rare moments that Hiei had managed to truly shock Kurama. He would have been proud too, had it not been so personal. The fire demon watched Kurama anxiously, wondering what his response would be. This was one of his most deeply guarded secrets. Hiei hadn't told anyone else of this, and he wasn't sure how Kurama would react.

Kurama reflected on Hiei's earlier actions, putting every piece of this mystery into place. At least it made sense why Hiei had been acting so odd. It was still quite a shocker. For Hiei's sake, he decided to not laugh or tease him about it. Acting surprised wouldn't help very much either, so Kurama would have to forget about how odd this whole situation was for now. Besides, he had many questions to ask Hiei. Why had this started only a week ago? Who was he in love with? Why is he just now displaying these emotions? Was this love mutual? Had Hiei told the person his feelings yet? Kurama decided to start with the most important question first.

"So, who's the lucky lady? ...Wait... it IS a lady, isn't it? ...I know you're kind of weird, even for a demon, but that doesn't mean.... I mean, it's not like it's Yusuke or Kuwabara or... Koenma or something. And it's not... me, right? ...RIGHT?!" Kurama was becoming frantic, worried about Hiei becoming the newest member of his fan club. "DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH ME, YOU JERK! THE LAST THING I NEED IS ANOTHER FANBOY!!! KARASU WAS ENOUGH FOR A LIFETIME, THANK YOU!!!!"

The look on Hiei's face was priceless. His eyes had widened and his mouth was hanging open, shock written all over his face. This was certainly not the reaction he had been hoping for. Did Kurama just compare him with _Karasu_? **_Karasu_**?! Come on, Hiei wasn't _that_ weird...

"NO! I'm not... I don't... I... You... " Hiei faltered for a moment, not quite sure what to say. He felt like hitting Kurama for assuming such an idiotic thing, but instead he settled for yelling, "I LIKE GIRLS, OKAY?! BAKA KITSUNE!"

The relief that flooded through the panicked kitsune was visible. "Oh, thank kami... I don't think I can handle another Karasu..."

"You are an idiot."

"Yes, yes, I know, I'm a baka kitsune. You can't blame me for worrying about it, though. You do have quite a few qualities in common with him, like that whole black, creepy look and the 'psycho killer on the loose' attitude... Are you sure Karasu isn't your long lost twin brother?" Kurama teased.

"Are you sure Kuwabaka isn't yours? You have the same hair and you're both idiotic enough," Hiei retorted. He didn't appreciate being told that he had things in common with _Karasu_ of all beings. Sure he was a powerful demon, but that guy was just plain creepy!

Kurama chuckled, assured that Hiei was back to normal, for the moment at least. "Since it isn't me, thank kami, then who is it? Who's the lucky lady that has broken through the icy walls of the fire demon's heart? Who has turned the Forbidden Child from a warrior into a poor, confused, love-stricken boy? Who-"

The fire demon became irritated with Kurama for turning such a simple question into a long, dramatic speech made specifically for injuring his dignity. "Botan."

"Nani?"

"It's Botan!"

This was very hard to believe, for obvious reasons. Kurama stared at Hiei skeptically, wondering if he was lying. For a few moments, nobody said a thing as Kurama tried to determine whether or not he was being lied to.

"You're kidding..." he finally said.

The stern look in Hiei's eyes was proof enough that this was completely true. Kurama knew better than to accuse him of lying about something as serious as this.

"Kami... You really DO love her... Oh..."

Both demons knew that Hiei would never have a chance with Botan. She was the number one bishoujo of the Urameshi group; she was Koenma's top ferry girl, which made her only a few steps down from a demigoddess; she was the total opposite of Hiei; she was scared to death of him, which made it nearly impossible to like him, nevertheless love; and everybody assumed that she was probably already in love with someone else, probably Kurama or Koenma.

"Hiei, you do realize that your chances of dating her are slim to none?"

"You think I don't know that?! I didn't choose to feel this way!"

Although it was probably unwanted, Kurama suddenly pitied the poor fire demon. All of his life he had never cared anyone except his sister. Then, the first time he ever feels romantic love for a girl, he has absolutely no chance with her! This was not what Kurama wanted for Hiei. The fire demon was a brother to the fox, and Kurama wasn't about to let him be rejected without even getting a fair chance.

"I'll help you, Hiei," Kurama offered.

Hiei knew about Youko's reputation as master of the art of seduction, and if anyone could help him with dating problems, it would be Kurama. But his pride wouldn't let him accept help from him, and his rational mind warned him about trusting a kitsune. If Kurama helped him now, then he might owe him later on, and Hiei wasn't one who liked to be in debt.

"I don't need your help, fox."

"Yes, you do. I'm only doing this because you're my friend, and I want to help you. Besides, if you keep acting weird and start daydreaming again on our mission, it's going to put us all in danger," Kurama reassured him.

The fire demon could tell he was honest. Well... he really DID need the help... Hiei decided to go along with it.

"Fine, fox, suit yourself."

Kurama grinned, glad that Hiei wasn't being difficult about it. He glanced at his watch, which showed that they were already ten minutes late. "ACK! We're late! Yusuke's going to be furious!"

The two demons took off at a speed too fast for a human to keep up with. Soon they arrived at the designated meeting place, just in time to see Yusuke and Kuwabara laughing at poor Botan, having just come to the conclusion that she was in love with Koenma.


	3. Chapter 2

**Naughty Godlings and Demonic Pudding  
Chapter 2**

"Y-you idiots think that I like Koenma!" Botan stammered. First they thought Kurama, and now Koenma! She didn't want them to think she liked a toddler, but she also didn't want to tell them that she really liked Hiei. Oh, what could a girl do?

Kuwabara rolled his eyes. "Well, duh! It's so obvious! I mean, you DO like someone and-"

Yusuke said, "It's not Kurama, and definitely not Kuwabaka!"

"Hey! Don't call me that!" Kuwabara glared at him and shot back, "I know you couldn't like that baka Yusuke either!"

"And everyone knows that you're scared of Hiei!" Yusuke continued, ignoring the insult.

"Plus you're so close to Koenma and all..."

"You two have probably been flirting with each other since the first day you met!"

Botan's eyes narrowed. "I do not like Koenma, and I would NEVER flirt with that... that... TODDLER!"

"You're just in denial!"

"You have a thing for pacifier breath!"

Hiei and Kurama, having arrived unnoticed, listened silently, unsure whether to interrupt them or not.

"I do not like Koenma!"

"You do too! The first step is denial!"

"Then comes L-O-V-E and marriage!"

"Then you're going to have little Koenmas and Botans running around!"

Botan shuddered at the thought. Little Koenmas and Botans? The very thought was revolting... Koenma himself was a toddler!

The more Hiei and Kurama watched, the more their worries increased. Was it true? Did Botan love Koenma? And, if so, where did this leave Hiei? Every accusation coming from Kuwabara and Yusuke was just as, if not even more, painful than an arrow piercing the demon's poor heart.

For Hiei's sake, Kurama decided to cease this torment and, hopefully, prevent a fight from breaking out. Clearing his throat loudly, he interrupted them, "Um, excuse us, are you in the middle of something?"

As Botan turned to the two arrivals, dread seeped in like water to a sinking ship. How horrible! So now not only Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama believed she liked Koenma - a TODDLER, for goodness sake! - but the one person who mattered most did too! Needless to say, her day was certainly not going well.

"Oh! Ummm... I can explain! They were just... joking and... being their stupid selves, you know..." Botan managed to say, despite a terrible inner struggle to not run far, far away and get very drunk.

Ignoring the ferry girl, Yusuke stated with absolute certainty that he knew the truth and nothing anybody said could change his mind, "Botan's got a secret love life!"

"With Koenma!" continued Kuwabara, grinning. "And they've been flirting!"

"At first, we thought it was with you, Kurama."

"But Botan blabbed and told us the truth!"

"Well, she didn't technically tell us, but it was pretty easy to figure out!"

Eyebrow raised, Kurama looked at them and replied doubtfully, "I see... So does she like Koenma or not?"

"I do not!" Botan shrieked at the same time as Yusuke answered, "Of course she does!"

The two glared at each other venomously. Had they been showy gods of high status, lightening would have sprung forth from each opposing side and met in a horrible, electrifying clash. The tension had just reached its climax when they were interrupted by the sound of nearby giggling. Botan and Yusuke were shaken out of their staring match, and everyone's eyes glanced around wildly for the source.

"That sounded like a child..." Kurama stated, confirming everyone's fears of being discovered by the most innocent of bystanders.

Kuwabara looked around warily, but upon seeing nothing odd, he said, "I don't see anyone."

In agreement with their comrade for once, Yusuke and Hiei didn't notice anything either. The fire demon stayed silent about it as Yusuke suggested, "We should leave. Botan, hurry up and open the portal for us!"

Everything else forgotten in the momentary panic, the ferry girl quickly obliged, and a doorway to Reikai appeared in midair. Everyone quickly stepped through to avoid human eyes. As soon as the last person went through, the portal disappeared, leaving no trace behind.

* * *

From his hiding place among the trees, Ainokami clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle the giggles the group had heard. He hadn't meant to actually laugh out loud, but he just couldn't help it! Botan had pretty much told everyone, including Hiei, that she liked Koenma of all beings! Her chibi god boss! It was just too funny, really.

The god of love was very lucky that everyone assumed it was a mere child they'd heard and not a noisy demon lusting for their blood. Although he knew how to conceal himself as well as any god, the Spirit Detectives had more than enough power to find him if they were motivated. And after being discovered, he would be almost helpless against the angry foursome.

After his giggles had been thoroughly stifled, Ainokami resumed his task of following Hiei and Botan. He quickly created his own portal and followed them into the Reikai palace.

* * *

Upon arriving in Spirit World, the group was immediately ushered into Koenma's office. The god, in toddler form, greeted them from where he stood on his desktop. Once everybody had gathered around him, the god noticed someone else hidden in his office, but made no comment. He would deal with that annoyance afterward...

Hoping to start things quickly, Koenma skipped introduction and launched into explanation, "There have been reports of large quantities of demonic energy emanating from a pudding factory in Tokyo. Normally I wouldn't have to send all four of you there to deal with such a minor thing, but my staff has already investigated and discovered something unusual, and to be perfectly honest, rather disturbing.

"After keeping the factory under constant surveillance, we've found that humans have been mysteriously disappearing from the area. The worst part of it all, though, is that the person in charge of the factory calls herself Mary Sue."

At the name of the dreaded Mary Sue, Hiei's eyes widened and, having been watching Botan the entire time, drifted away to stare at Koenma. This couldn't be happening... The first time he had a mission with Botan after discovering his feelings, and a Mary Sue might just screw it all up. The fire demon could barely suppress a shudder at the thought of how humiliated he would be if the ferry girl witnessed him fall in love with the horrid Sue.

Similar thoughts in their heads, Kurama paled and Botan gasped. However, Kuwabara and Yusuke simply looked bewildered, having no knowledge on Mary Sues.

"Do you guys know her or something?" Kuwabara asked, completely clueless.

"Is she an old enemy, or maybe an ex-girlfriend?"

Koenma quickly explained before Yusuke and Kuwabara jumped to ridiculous conclusions. "A Mary Sue is a creature that is absolutely perfect in every way - looks, brains, powers, etc. She normally has a high rank in society, such as demon princess of some long lost island, and can defeat anybody because her powers are unlimited. Most males, and even some females, will fall in love with her if they spend enough time in her presence. Her male counterpart is referred to as a Gary Stu."

Yusuke and Kuwabara mulled over this new information for a minute, considering the possibilities of fighting such a creature.

"Too bad Keiko's not a Mary Sue..." grumbled Yusuke. If Keiko were a Mary Sue, life would be perfect for the young detective! At least, that's what Yusuke thought. He hadn't considered the fact that a Mary Sue's slap would be many times stronger than Keiko's.

"Then how are we supposed to fight her? If we get close enough to do anything, we'll fall in love!"

"The only known way is to have someone immune to her charm - in this case, almost any female will do - counter any effects the Mary Sue may induce. Botan will go with the four of you, along with Keiko, Yukina, and Shizuru. One girl for every guy, see?" Koenma explained. "Hopefully, it won't be too hard for the girls. All they really need to do is force you guys to fight Mary Sue and not get hurt in the process. Quite easy, actually."

Botan nearly groaned when the godling said that. Easy, eh? Famous last words... Koenma had practically jinxed the mission already!

"Do you have any other information for us?" asked Kurama.

"Unfortunately, that's all we know. You'll have to find out more on your own. Any other questions before you begin?" Seeing that everyone was ready, Koenma continued, "Then I would like you to leave for Tokyo at once. Botan, you are to take them to the factory. Make sure they don't get close enough for Mary Sue's charm to work! After that, you have to get the other three girls and bring them there as well."

By doing this, Koenma hoped to keep the girls separated from the guys as long as possible - especially Keiko and Yusuke. It seemed that every time those two met, a fight would break out, and somehow Yusuke would always get injured. They didn't need injuries before even meeting Mary Sue!

The ferry girl nodded in response and led the other four out of his office as quickly as they had been brought in. Once everyone was gone, Koenma looked directly at the annoyance he had seen earlier and commanded, "You can come out now, Ainokami!"

* * *

Ainokami had followed everyone into Koenma's office. He was able to hide himself from the Spirit Detectives easily, but not from a fellow god. Koenma was aware of his presence and purposely did nothing to alert the others, which meant that he was either feeling generous today or had a use for Ainokami. Ever the pessimistic one, the god of love knew the latter was much more likely.

As soon as Koenma called for him to come forward, the godling complied, knowing it would be useless to do otherwise.

"What did you do to them?" Koenma demanded to know.

Feigning innocence, Ainokami declared with an outrageous attitude, "I'm as innocent as a newborn human! You needn't accuse me of any meddling, for all I wanted was to visit my favorite chibi in action! You know I could never resist the charms of a powerful toddler." The god floated slowly around Koenma in a full circle, leering at him. "You're especially charming when you grow angry and flushed. Oh, you must have dozens of ogres pining for your love every time you throw one of your spectacular temper tantrums!"

The god of love stopped beside Koenma and put an arm around his shoulders teasingly. Koenma was thoroughly insulted, and, with a glare, shoved the offending god away.

"Don't play the guiltless fool. I noticed Hiei staring at Botan the whole time - that isn't exactly an everyday occurance. What did you do?"

Ainokami cackled at Koenma's discomfort and announced proudly, "I merely aided a lonely fire demon in finding his soul mate!"

"Soul mate? Botan couldn't possibly be Hiei's soul mate!"

"You blind fool, haven't you heard the saying 'opposites attract'? I admit, it wasn't the first couple I would have chosen, but all I do is aim and shoot! The spells do the rest!"

Knowing that to be the truth, Koenma reluctantly ignored his disbelief and asked, "Is it permanent?"

"Only destiny can tell," was his vague reply.

"As punishment for meddling in others' affairs, you will follow them on their mission and see that Hiei and Botan come to no harm. Afterwards, you will provide them with the antidote," Koenma ordered.

This being the inevitable since Koenma outranked him, Ainokami knew that it would be useless to argue about it. However, negotiating wasn't out of question.

"Only if I can shoot arrows as I please," declared the god.

"No more shooting arrows! You made more than enough trouble when you made me fall in love with the ogres last year!" Koenma's glare cut off Ainokami's laughter almost before it began.

"But what if I were to aid your precious Spirit Detectives?"

"Absolutely not! No more arrows, and that's final!"

"Oh, come now! I exist solely to spread love throughout the lands! At least grant me this small favor?"

"No more arrows!" insisted Koenma, temper flaring.

"But should Hiei and Botan need me, the only weapons I have are arrows!" That much was true. Ainokami was an expert on matters of the heart, not war.

"Well, perhaps..." Koenma began, thinking about the situation logically. "If you only use the arrows to help Hiei and Botan when they are in a life-threatening situation, I suppose I could allow that. But only then! No more meddling with their love life, or anyone else's for that matter!"

"Alright, then I accept my punishment," Ainokami said, already thinking of ways to shoot arrows for Hiei and Botan's 'benefit'.

The two gods shook hands, as was custom, to seal the agreement. Then Ainokami floated out of the room to begin his task, leaving Koenma to deal with his daily stacks of paperwork.


	4. Chapter 3

**Naughty Godlings and Demonic Pudding  
Chapter 3**

After leaving Koenma's office, Botan led the four boys through a portal to Tokyo. They entered Ningenkai a few miles away from the pudding factory and began walking the remainder of the distance through the crowded downtown area. Everyone traveled together except for Hiei. He went about jumping from rooftop to rooftop. Yusuke and Kuwabara assumed that it was so he wouldn't be associated with ningens. Kurama, however, suspected that the reason was Botan.

The journey continued uninterrupted for quite a while. Botan and the others made small talk, which Hiei also excluded himself from.

Ainokami tailed along from a distance, making extra sure to mask his energy. He constantly reminded himself of what might happen should Hiei or Botan discover he caused their lovesick state.

However, caution soon gave way to boredom. The secret lovebirds weren't going to get anywhere if they were always separated!

Forget being careful! It was time to take some extreme measures. With a plan in mind, Ainokami nearly began giggling again. If this plot succeeded, Ainokami could care less if Hiei found out - the godling would die laughing. After summoning his bow and a non-magical arrow, Ainokami prepared to shoot away...

Hiei was in midair, on his way to the next rooftop, when he felt a sharp pain in his ankle. Surprised, he lost concentration and fell to the ground in a heap. The others heard the commotion and came running, but by the time they arrived, Hiei had already pulled a small arrow from his leg and was peering at it curiously.

It wasn't a fatal shot, but the mere fact that an archer caught him off guard was startling. Perhaps Kurama was right in saying his wandering mind might be the end of him.

"Hiei!" Botan asked, capturing the demon's complete attention. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" he answered gruffly, embarrassed that she saw his undignified state. Holding the arrow for all to see, he continued, "An enemy is near, and I doubt their next shot will be as kind as this one."

"But I don't feel anyone's ki," protested Kuwabara, unable to conceive the possibility that someone could slip past his spirit awareness.

"I'll go look around from the air!" volunteered Botan, eager to catch Hiei's attacker.

"No, it's too dangerous!" Hiei objected rather protectively before Botan could summon her oar. Yusuke glanced at him strangely and opened his mouth to comment on Hiei's strange show of concern, but Kurama quickly interfered.

"Hiei's right. This mysterious archer must be quite powerful. If they could catch Hiei unaware..." the fox trailed off, then muttered to himself, "Though that has been considerably easier lately..."

Having heard his comment, Hiei glared at Kurama, but it was only acknowledged with a small grin.

"So if we can't see or feel anything, what should we do? Go out and search?" Kuwabara asked dubiously.

"Oi, archer guy! Quit playing hide-and-seek and face us like a man!" yelled Yusuke for all to hear, answering Kuwabara's question. Already prepared for such a request, Ainokami performed a simple shape-shifting charm and appeared before the detectives.

All five stared in wonder at the odd creature before them.

"What IS that!" exclaimed Kuwabara.

"I think it looks like... pudding," Kurama stated calmly.

Strangely enough, he was right: Ainokami was a blob of pudding, hovering in midair. The five continued staring, not quite sure whether or not it was a threat. Then, without warning, the floating food began moving and reshaping. Yusuke warned redundantly, "It's changing!"

"Is it... trying to spell a word!" asked Botan, awed at the strange sight.

Indeed, the god had changed his pudding body to spell: H heart symbol B

It was quite a cryptic message unless, of course, you knew of Hiei and Botan's feelings. Kurama understood it perfectly and watched as the demon and ferry girl hastily looked away, blushing. Meanwhile, Kuwabara and Yusuke were squinting at the pudding.

"H heart B..." Yusuke read aloud. "What the heck?"

"Heavy heart burn?" guessed Kuwabara. "He's heart broken?"

If he had a mouth, Ainokami would have burst out laughing.

And Kurama may have joined in if he weren't too busy contemplating Hiei and Botan's reactions. It wasn't surprising that Hiei would blush, but what about Botan? Unless 'H' stood for something else, the fox would have to assume she either loved Hiei or knew he loved her. But she wasn't acting disgusted or frightened - only embarrassed. So, maybe Hiei actually stood a chance with the girl!

Wow, who would have thought pudding could bring such great news?

"Hey, the pudding is changing again!" Yusuke called out. He had long since shed any suspicions of the pudding suddenly attacking them, despite the assault on Hiei. After all it was just floating pudding - how dangerous could it be?

There it was, the second message the godling-gone-pudding had for them: ADMIT IT ALREADY.

Before Kuwabara or Yusuke could start their lame deciphering attempts, Ainokami broke all logical laws of nature the way only a god can by speaking in his mouth-less, shapeless pudding form.

"A girl and a demon sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love..."

As the terrible song continued, Hiei blushed even more, making him appear severely sunburned, and attempted to send the pudding a half-hearted glare. But it was difficult to act angry when you stood mortified, watching your worst nightmare come to life.

Hiei couldn't believe what was happening. That horrible Mary Sue must have sent the pudding! Koenma had warned them of a demonic pudding factory, after all, and since Mary Sues know everything, it was no wonder that she knew he was infatuated with Botan.

Oh, that despicable Mary Sue! If this kept up, she was going to ruin any chance he may have had with Botan. It was bad enough that Yusuke and Kuwabara thought that Koenma had stolen Botan's heart; Hiei didn't need Mary Sue interfering too!

The very thought of a Sue affecting his love life had Hiei in fits. How dare she! That creature already had more than enough power - why did she have to use it to ruin his life! Unable to restrain his emotions, Hiei let loose a burst of ki and set fire to the pudding.

Everyone else gasped as the blob caught fire. What a strange sight - a burning mass hovering in midair, like a meteorite frozen in place. Immediately, they glanced at Hiei to see why he had done such a thing. The pudding had only been singing, after all. That's no reason to attack it! But the fire demon paid them no mind and smirked at the pudding in satisfaction, only the faintest remains of a blush staining his face.

* * *

Burning wasn't very fun for Ainokami. Though his pudding form was unable to feel pain, that didn't mean his life wasn't threatened. Pudding can burn as well as any other food. Within seconds, the god vanished from sight, much to the astonishment of his audience. 

Ainokami reappeared in a side alley in his usual form, unscathed thanks to his godly powers. He had never considered that Hiei might attack! The god had been too anxious to witness Hiei and Botan's embarrassment to wonder if he might be in danger.

Oh, that Hiei had quite a temper... If it had been any other creature, Ainokami would be inclined to pay it back tenfold. But Hiei was a special case. If things went on as planned, then this minor setback would be forgiven.

The godling became even more determined to aid Hiei in the quest for a soul mate. It was obvious the demon needed someone to love. If he were busy catering to Botan's every need, then he would have no time to set poor blobs of pudding on fire!

His motivation reinforced, the god returned to watching the group as their journey towards the pudding factory continued...

* * *

None of the Spirit Detectives were quite sure what to do. One moment, there was burning pudding in front of them, and then, just as suddenly, it disappeared. Everyone stood bewildered, not knowing the proper protocol for this type of situation. Should they search for the strange enemy? Or should they leave it alone in its charred misery? 

Of the five people present, Kurama was the only one who wished the pudding would return. It had known something about Hiei and Botan, and the fox wanted to find out what - especially if Mary Sue had sent it. This could be a valuable chance to determine how many of their secrets she knew and, more importantly, how she intended to use that knowledge against them.

On the other hand, Botan was glad for its disappearance. It had known she loved Hiei! If the fiend's antics had continued, then everyone else might have figured it out too. Oh, the horror! Botan couldn't bear to imagine what would happen if Hiei knew...

Interrupting everyone's thoughts, Yusuke finally said, "Well, guys, I don't think that weirdo pudding's coming back, so it's safe to keep going."

"Huh? Oh... hai, let's go!" Botan quickly pushed thoughts of Hiei into the back of her mind and focused on reaching the Mary Sue's factory.

Everyone else followed suit, and soon they were acting like the pudding incident had never happened. However, this time Hiei stayed close to the group, which proved the godling's stunt had been successful.

The fire demon walked beside Kurama with an angry scowl upon his face. Between the babbling morons, Botan's overwhelming presence and Kurama's curious stares, the whole situation was becoming way too stressful. _This_ is why he had walked separately from them earlier.

He considered risking the danger and straying from the group again, but the embarrassment of being caught off guard was a worse alternative. Hiei simply had to endure the torture for the sake of his pride.

Eventually, just as Hiei was ready to bolt, the group spotted their destination on the distant horizon - Mary Sue's pudding factory! The place could have been any other human building if it didn't exude a demonic aura. Five sets of specially trained eyes (not to mention a certain Evil Eye) noticed the ghastly green glow of power as easily as if it were glowing radioactively.

"So that's Mary Sue's hideout, ne? Doesn't look so scary to me!" Kuwabara boasted as they journeyed closer.

"Oh, yeah, with all that youki just pouring out of it - not scary at ALL," Yusuke stated dryly.

"We should stop here," suggested Botan. "If you four venture much closer without the other girls around, something bad is bound to happen!"

Doubtful, the boys sized up the distance between them and the factory. It was still pretty far away, just daring the detectives to come take a closer look.

"Botan..." Kurama began. "Maybe we should-"

"No, no, no, don't start with me! I know you four are powerful fighters and that you've defeated your fair share of demons, but we are dealing with a _Mary Sue_ here! Extra caution is necessary!" Botan warned them. "We cannot just waltz up to her lair and expect to go undetected. She probably knows exactly where we are right now - what's stopping her from killing you where you stand? Or worse, brainwash you until you're nothing more than her mindless love slave!"

"Botan, that won't happen to us," Kuwabara reassured, confident in his strength. "No girl could ever make me forget my lovely Yukina!"

"She is not a normal girl! Just ask Hiei or Kurama. They know how easily Mary Sue can sneak into your brain and make you do the stupidest things!" Botan argued passionately. She couldn't stand by and let Mary Sue capture them before the other girls even arrived! "The last time Kurama dealt with a Mary Sue, do you know how he ended up?"

"Now, now, Botan, it really isn't necessary to tell them that..." Kurama protested.

She ignored him and answered the question, "He was found half-dressed and tied to a tree in some tiny American town with no memory of what happened! We can only guess the horrors he was put through! Do you _want_ that to happen to you?"

The fox shuddered involuntarily at the unpleasant memory. That had not been fun to explain to his mother...

With a grimace, Kurama replied, "Of course we don't want that to happen! But if we don't stop Mary Sue now, then not only will we be in danger, but all creatures! Do _you_ want Mary Sue to create an army of brainwashed humans?"

"He's right, Botan," Yusuke agreed. "We are the only ones who can stop her!"

"Which is EXACTLY why you shouldn't rush off and get captured!" Botan argued. She opened her mouth to say more, but Hiei interrupted her.

"Just leave. We'll be fine," Hiei stated with complete confidence. Hmph, he would never let a Mary Sue capture him - especially when Botan was watching...

Struck speechless, Botan stared at the fire demon. Suddenly, her argument seemed so silly... Hiei wanted her to leave? Well... maybe he was right. Hiei had plenty of experience dealing with Mary Sues, after all. He certainly seemed confident enough. So, maybe it was time she trusted him to take care of himself, and go do her part in the mission!

Silently, Kurama noted her reaction. So she would argue with everyone else, but listened to Hiei? How strange...

Kuwabara repeated the demon's request, "Yeah, Botan. Just go already and stop holding us up!"

"Okay, fine! I'll go, but only if you promise me this," Botan said as she summoned her oar. "Don't try to fight her until I return!"

"Yeah, yeah, we'll wait like good little boys, alright? Now, would you just LEAVE!" Yusuke retorted.

With a final worried glance at a certain fire demon, the ferry girl soared away.

"Phew! Finally!" Kuwabara exclaimed. "Come on, everybody, let's get a closer look!"

Without another word, the four boys continued on, certain that Mary Sue couldn't possibly harm them.

* * *

Meanwhile... 

In a small, dark room, hidden deep within the factory's long-forgotten cellars, two figures - one male and one female - stood and watched their enemy's progress on a screen on the wall.

"Hmmm, those poor fools... They have no idea what you're capable of, do they?" said the man.

"No, I suppose not. Shall I give them a demonstration?" asked the woman.

"Certainly..."

She grinned, her teeth gleaming eerily. "Which one shall it be?"

"I pick... _that_ one." He pointed at one of the boys on the screen.

"Ah, of course. I should have known."

"Indeed."

Then, like the clichéd characters they were, the two broke out into evil, maniacal laughter that echoed horribly.

"Mwahahahaha!" the woman laughed.

"Bufufufu!" the man laughed in reply.

"MWAHAHA-" she stopped, annoyed. "Wait, what kind of evil laugh is 'bufufu'!"

"MY kind of evil laugh!"

"Well, get a new one! You are RUINING my evil entrance scene!"

"NO! I happen to like laughing like that!"

"I don't care! If you laugh like that one more time, I will-"

"Fine then! HEEHEEHEEHEE! Is THAT better!"

"Yes, thank you."

If anyone else had been there to witness the scene, they would have sweat-dropped. But, as fate goes, no one was there, so the crazy pair simply continued their evil laughter like nothing had happened.

"Heeheeheehee!"

"Mwahahaha!"

And so they continued, laughing their selves hoarse while their enemies came closer and closer...

* * *

Finally, perched on the roof of a multi-story building, not even a mile away from the pudding factory, the four boys stopped to observe their enemy. 

The factory's demonic aura grew even more impressive closer up. Squinting at the blinding aura, Kuwabara said, "This sucks! We walk closer so we can see better, but now the energy's so bright we can't see anything!"

"Speak for yourself, baka. I can see just fine!" Yusuke bragged as he stared straight at the factory.

"Then your spirit awareness must not be as good as mine. I feel like I'm trying to stare at the sun here!" Kuwabara exclaimed.

"Or maybe you're just too sensitive for your own good!"

"Shut up, both of you," Hiei ordered. Stupid humans - didn't they ever stop arguing? "If you insist on being useless, then at least refrain from hindering others from doing their job!"

Kuwabara blinked, taken aback at the hostility. "Sheesh, Hiei, did you wake up on the wrong side of the tree today?"

"Yeah, man, you've been really tense today! Is it your time of the month, or what?" asked Yusuke, grinning idiotically.

Kurama intervened before Hiei completely lost it. "Oh, don't worry about him. He's just going through some difficult changes right now."

"What, like a demon midlife crisis, or something?" Yusuke suggested, quite amused at the idea.

"Well... sort of," answered Kurama.

"Right..." Yusuke said. "Well, it's official then: Hiei is STILL a freak!"

Kuwabara nodded. "Definitely!"

The fox glanced over at Hiei to see if he would respond, but... he wasn't there. In fact, he wasn't even on the rooftop any more!

"Um... Does anyone know where Hiei is?" Kurama asked.

"He's right there," Yusuke turned to where Hiei had been, only to find an empty space. "Err, he WAS there..."

The three boys searched the area frantically, but found nothing. Hiei had simply disappeared without a trace!


End file.
